Windshield washer pump



Sept. l, 1959 R, P, SNYDER 2,901,977

WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP Filed July l0, 1957 zal?? l /s i y l :i

Y i l? I7 l'. 2s i! l if? 50 l v- E PNVENTOR. 5f //'/11\\ aber.371der 111/ "75H19 4 BY y fz 19.6. Shay H/s ATTQRNMEY 2,901,917 WnsD'sninLnWASHER PUMP Robert P. Snyder, Saginaw, Mich., assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July10, 1957, Serial No. 670,911 Y 9 Claims. (Cl. m3- 50) and particularlyto r'I'his invention pertains to pumps,

a windshield washer an improved control arrangement for pump.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to incorporate a two-way valve forcontrolling the application and exhaust of pressure fluid to the motorfor actuating a pump having fluid pressure effected delivery stroke anda spring effected intake stroke. The present invention relates to acontrol arrangement embodying separate motor inlet and outlet valves,the inlet valve being manually controlled and the outlet valve beingautomatically controlled in response to the position of the inlet valvewhereby the possibility of leakage of the high pressure actuating fluidis minimized. Accordingly, among my objects are the provisions of animproved control valve arrangement for a uid motor having a power strokeand a return stroke; the further provision of a control valvearrangement for a washer pump having a uid pressure and spring actuatedstrokes including a manually operable inlet valve and an automaticallyoperable outlet valve; and the still further provision of an improvedwindshield washer pump including simplified control means.

The aforementioned and other objects are accomplished in the presentinvention by utilizing a pair of spring biased ball valves, one of whichcan be manually unseated and the `other of which is automaticallyactuated in response to the position of the manually operable ballvalve. Specifically, the washer pump includes a two-part casing having adiaphragm therein that divides the casing into two chambers. One of thechambers constitutes the pumping chamber and communicates with an inletconduit and an outlet conduit through suitable one-way check valves. Thepumping chamber also has a spring disposed therein, one end of whichengages the casing and the other end of which engages the diaphragm. Thediaphragm constitutes a fluid displacing member having an intake strokeand a delivery stroke. The intake stroke of the fluid displacing memberis effected by the spring.

The delivery stroke of the fluid displacing member is effected by apiston which is attached to the diaphragm, the piston being reciprocablein a cylinder bore formed in one part of the casing. The cylinder boreconnects with a pressure chamber in the casing. The casing chambercommunicates with an inlet nipple and an outlet nipple. The inletnip-ple is connected to a source of hydraulic uid under high pressureand connects with a passage in the casing having a ball valve thereinwhich is spring urged into engagement with a valve seat. The inlet ballvalve normally prevents communication between the inlet nipple and thepressure chamber in the casing.

The outlet nipple likewise includes a valve seat which can be engaged bya ball valve disposed within the pressure chamber. The latter ball valveconstitutes an outlet valve and is spring biased away from its valveseat. The pump casing also has journalled therein a control shaft havinga flat thereon engageable with the inletball valve. When the controlshaft is rotated so that the arcuate periphery of the control shaftengages the inlet ball, this aired States Patent O ball valve will beunseated, thereby permitting the application of tiuid under highpressure to ow through the inlet nipple into the pressure chamber. Thepressure of the incoming fluid impinging against the outlet ball valvemoves the outlet ball valve into engagement with its valve seat,whereupon the high pressure fluid will iiow into the cylinder bore andeffect the power stroke of the motor piston and the delivery stroke ofthe uid displacing member attached thereto. As soon as the control shaftis returned to the position wherein the flat engages the inlet ballvalve, the spring associated therewith will reseat the inlet ball valveand interrupt the application of pressure fluid to the pressure chamber.When this occurs the spring engaging the outlet ball valve will unseatthe outlet ball valve due to equalization of hydraulic pressure onopposite sides of the outlet ball valve, and permit the spring acting onthe diaphragm to effect the intake stroke of the pump and the returnstroke of the motor piston thereby forcing the liuid from the cylinderbore to drain through the outlet nipple.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a washer pump constructedaccording to this invention with the inlet valve closed and the outletvalve open.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l with the inlet valve open and theoutlet valve closed.

With particular reference to Figure l, a windshield washer vpump isshown including a two-part casing comprising an upper part 10 and alower part 11. The two casing parts 10 and 11 are interconnected b-y aplurality of bolts 12, a diaphragm 13 of elastomeric material disposedtherebetween and dividing the casing into an upper chamber 14 and alower chamber 15. The diaphragm assembly includes upper and lowerclamping plates 15 and 17 respectively, which are attached thereto bythe rod end 18 of a piston 19. The rod end 18 extends through a centralaperture in the diaphragm assembly and is thereafter upset as indicatedby numeral 2t). A suitable washer 21 is interposed between the upset end20 and the rod portion 18 and the upper plate 16.

The upper part 10 of the casing connects with an inlet conduit 22through a suitable one-way inlet check valve 23 and an outlet conduit 24through an outlet one-way valve 25. In accordance with conventionalpractice the inlet conduit 22 connects with a suitable reservoircontaining liquid solvent, not shown, and the outlet conduit 24 connectswith washer spray nozzles, not shown, through which the liquid solventis discharged onto the windshield of a motor vehicle.

The diaphragm 13 constitutes ya lluid displacing member having an intakestroke and a delivery stroke. The diaphragm 13 is engaged by one end ofa coil spring 26 disposed withiu the pumping chamber 14, the other endof which engages the upper part 10 of the casing. The spring 26 isutilized to effect the intake stroke of the diaphragm 13, as will bepointed out more specifically hereinafter.

The lower part 11 of the casing has a vent hole 27 therein whichconnects the chamber 15 to atmosphere. In addition, the casing part 11has a cylinder bore 28 therein which receives the piston 19. The piston19 ycarries a suitable packing as indicated by the numeral 29. Thecylinder bore 28 communicates with a cylindrical pressure chamber 31 inthe casing part 11 through a passage 30. The pressure chamber 31 has anoutlet ball valve 32 disposed therein, the outlet ball valve 32 beingengaged by one end of spring 33. The outlet ball valve Patented Sept. 1,1959 Y 32 is snugly received in the cylindrical chamber 31. The otherend of the spring 33 engages a shoulder 34 formed on an outlet nipple 35threaded into `the casing part 11. The outlet nipple 35 includes a valveseat as indicated by numeral 36, and the tubular portion of the nipple3S be tween the shoulder 34 and the valve seat 36 lconstitutes a guidefor the spring 33.

The pressure chamber 31 also connects with a passage 37 in the casingpart 11 which terminates in a valve seat indicated by numeral 38. Thevalve seat 33 is engageable by an inlet ball valve 39 disposed within abore 4@ of the valve casing and urged into engagement with the valveseat by a spring 41. The spring 41 is disposed between the ball 39 andan inlet nipple 42 having threaded er1- gagement with the casing part11. The lower casing part 11 has a transverse bore 43 therein whichreceives a rotatable control shaft 44, the bore 43 intersecting the bore40 adjacent vthe valve seat 33. The control shaft 44 has a fla-t 45formed on a portion thereof engageable with the inlet ball valve 39. Aslong as the flat 45 on the control shaft 44 engages the ball valve 39,the spring 41 will maintain the inlet ball valve 39 in engagement withthe seat 33. However, when the control shaft 44 is rotated so that thecylindrical peripheral portion thereof engages the ball valve 39, theinlet ball valve 39 will be unseated thereby permitting communicationbetween bore 40 and the passage 37.

The inlet nipple 42 is connected by a suitable conduit, not shown, to asource of hydraulic fluid under high pressure, not shown. The outletnipple 35 is connected by a conduit, not shown, to a sump, not shown,containing hydraulic fluid under atmospheric pressure. The control shaft44 may be connected by any suitable means, not shown, `to a manuallyoperable control member, so that upon movement of the control member tothe on position the shaft 44 will be rotated so as to unseat the inletball valve 39, whereas when the control member is moved to an offposition the control shaft 44 will be returned to the position depictedin Figure l wherein the flat 45 engages the inlet ball valve 39.

Operation of the washer pump is as follows: When the control shaft 44 isrotated so as to unseat the inlet ball valve 39, high pressure actuatingfluid flowing through the bore 40 and through the passage 37 willimpinge the outlet ball valve 32. The force of this high pressure fluidacting on the outlet ball valve 32 will move the outlet ball valve 32from the position of Figure l to the position of Figure 2 wherein theball valve 32 engages the seat 36 so as to close the outlet nipple 35from communication with the chamber 31. At the same time, the passage 37will communicate with the passage 3f? through chamber 31 whereupon highpressure fluid will be admitted to the cylinder bore 28. The pressure incylinder bore 28 acting on the piston 19 Will move the piston 19upwardly to the position depicted in Figure 2 thereby effecting thedelivery stroke of the washer pump. During the delivery stroke, theliquid solvent in the pump chamber 14 will be forced through outletcheck valve 25 to the conduit 24 and thence to the washer spray nozzles,not shown.

When the control shaft 44 is returned to the position depicted in Figurel wherein the flat engages the inlet ball valve 39, the spring 41 willreposition the inlet ball valve 39 in engagement with the valve seat 38thereby interrupting the communication between bore 40 and the passage37. Accordingly, the hydraulic pressure on opposite sides of the ball 32will be equalized and the spring 33 will move ythe outlet ball valve 32from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure l, therebypermitting `the spring 26 to force the fluid from the cylinder bore 2.8through outlet nipple 35 and effecting the intake stroke of thediaphragm 13 by drawing in liquid solvent from the conduit 33 throughthe inlet check valve 23.

From `the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides asimplified washer pump and control valve arrangement wherein separateinlet and outlet valves for controlling the application and exhaust ofthe actuating pressure fluid are incorporated. By utilizing the controlvalve arrangement of this invention the possibility of leakage of thehigh pressure actuating fluid is minimized, and the pumping cycle iseffected automatically by opening and Closing the pressure inlet valve.

While the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes apreferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A pump including, a casing having a fluid displacing member thereinwith an intake stroke and a delivery stroke, power means actingconstantly on said fluid displacing member to effect one stroke thereof,fluid pres sure actuated means operatively connected with said memberfor effecting the other stroke thereof, and a control valve arrangementin fluid circuit connection With said fluid pressure actuated meansincluding an inlet valve having open and closed positions, manuallyoperable mechanical means for controlling said inlet valve and anautomatically operable outlet valve which is closed and opened inresponse to manual actuation of the inlet valve.

2. A pump including, a casing having a fluid displacing memberV thereinwith an intake stroke and a delivery stroke, energy storing means actingconstantly upon said member for effecting one stroke, fluid pressureactuated means for effecting the other stroke of said member, andcontrol means in fluid circuit connection with said fluid pressureactuated means comprising an inlet valve having open and closedpositions, manually operable mechanical means for controlling said inletvalve and an outlet valve actuated by fluid pressure to a closedposition and spring biased to an open position in response to manualactuation of the inlet valve.

3. A pump including, a casing having a fluid displacing member thereinwith an intake stroke and a delivery stroke, a spring biasing said fluiddisplacing member t0 move it throughout one stroke, a fluid pressureactuated power member connected to the fluid displacing member formoving it throughout its other stroke against the urge of said spring,and control means in fluid circuit connection with said power membercomprising an inlet valve having open and closed positions, manuallyoperable mechanical means for controlling said inlet valve and an outletvalve actuated by fluid pressure to a closed position upon movement ofthe inlet valve to the open position and spring biased to an openposition upon movement of the inlet valve to the closed position.

4. A pump including, a casing having a fluid displacing member thereinwith an intake stroke and a delivery stroke, a spring biasing the fluiddisplacing member to move it throughout one stroke, 4a fluid pressureactuated power piston connected with the fluid displacing memoer formoving it through the other stroke against the urge of said spring, andcontrol means in fluid circuit connection with said power pistonincluding an inlet valve having open and closed positions, manuallyoperable mechanical means for controlling the open and closed positionsof said inlet valve and an outlet valve actuated by fluid pressure to aclosed position and spring biased to open position in response to manualactuation of the inlet valve between `the open and closed positions.

5. A pump including, a casing having a fluid displacing member thereinwith an intake stroke and a delivery stroke, resilient means biasingsaid fluid .displacing member to move it throughout one stroke, saidcasing having a cylinder bore therein, a fluid pressure actuated powerpiston reciprocable in said cylinder bore and connected to said fluiddisplacing member for moving it throughout its other stroke, `and meansfor controlling the application of fluid pressure to and drain from saidcylinder bore comprising an inlet valve having open and closedpositions, a spring engaging the inlet valve for normally maintaining itin lthe closed position, manually operable means engageable with theinlet valve for moving it to the open position and disengageabletherewith for permitting the spring to move it to the closed position,and an outlet valve actuated by fluid pressure to a closed position whenthe inlet valve is open and spring biased to an open position when theinlet valve is closed.

6. Control means for a iluid motor h-aving a cylinder with areciprocable piston therein having a fluid pressure actuated powerstroke and a spring actuated return stroke, including, an inlet Ivalvefor controlling the application of pressure fluid to said cylinderhaving open and closed positions, manually operable mechanical meansengageable with the inlet valve for controlling the open and closedpositions thereof, and an outlet valve connected with said cylinder soas to be actuated by fluid pressure to a closed position and a springbiased to an open position in response to manual control of said inletvalve between the open and closed positions.

7. Control means for a liuid motor having a cylinder with areciproc-able piston therein having a iluid pressure actuated powerstroke and a spring actuated return stroke, including, an inlet valvehaving open and closed positions, resilient means engaging said inletvalve for moving it to the closed position, manually operable mechanicalmeans engageable with the inlet valve for moving it to an open positionto apply fluid under pressure to said cylinder and disengageabletherewith for permiting said spring to move the inlet valve to theclosed position and interrupt the application of pressure iiuid to saidcylinder, and an outlet valve connected with the cylinder actuated byuid under pressure to a closed position when the inlet valve is open andspring biased to an open position when the inlet valve is closed.

8. Control means for a uid motor having a cylinder with a reciprocablepiston therein having a uid pressure actuated power stroke and a springactuated return stroke, including, a chamber connected with saidcylinder having an outlet ball valve therein, a seat for said outletball valve, 4a spring engaging said outlet ball valve for moving it toan open position, a pressure inlet passage, an inlet ball valve disposedin the pressure inlet passage, resilient means engaging the inlet ballvalve for normally preventing communication between the inlet pressurepassage and the pressure chamber, and manually operable means engageablewith the inlet ball for moving it to an open position whereby thepressure uid acting on the outlet ball will move the outlet ball valveto a closed position to effect the power stroke of said piston, saidmanually operable means being disengageable with the inlet ball valve topermit said resilient means to move the inlet ball valve to the closedposition whereupon the resilient means engaging the outlet ball valvewill move the outlet ball valve to the open position to facilitate thespring actuated return stroke of said piston.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said manually operablemeans engageable with said inlet ball valve comprises a shaft arrangedtransversely of the inlet pressure passage having a flat thereonpermitting said resilient means to close the inlet ball valve, saidshaft being rotatable so as to move said inlet ball valve to an openposition when the cylindrical periphery thereof engages the inlet ballvalve.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS2,004,146 Wineman June 11, 1935 2,451,013 Ziskal et al. Oct. 12, 19482,722,455 Oishei Nov. 1, 1955

